YWCA Peterborough Haliburton

We're excited to share that the YWCA will again be hosting Take Back The Night activities in Minden, Haliburton County, as well as supporting the event in Peterborough!

Join us at the 2nd annual Minden Take Back The Night for local speakers, sharing stories, and standing in solidarity with survivors of domestic abuse and violence against women.

We hope to see many of our supporters joining us for a powerful gathering focused on awareness, remembrance, and activism. Please visit the event page at Take Back The Night: Minden 2024 for more details.

Heads up: 📣 Our Administrative Offices in Peterborough and Minden will be closed on Monday, September 2, for Labour Day. The START program will not be running on the holiday Monday.

Our office will reopen on Tuesday, September 3. If you need help, you can always reach our 24-hour crisis and support line at 1-800-461-7656, or by texting 705-991-0110.

Meet two of this year's featured Take Back The Night performers! Join us on Thursday September 19th from 3-6pm in the PTBO Square Courtyard (evening performances beginning at 6:30).

Sarah Lewis is an Ojibwe and Cree spoken word poet, mother, activist and author from Curve Lake First Nation. She is a Trent U Alumni, served as Peterborough's Inaugural Poet Laureate and was the second runner up in the Miss Indigenous Canada pageant. Sarah has been featured on TEDtalks, CBC Arts, Global News, and stages across the world. Her poetry is birthed from an unapologetic woman sick of a colonial, capitalistic, sexist society, who feels we can use our voices to dismantle and break free from these harmful systems. When Sarah is not performing poetry, you can find her in meditation, in ceremony, hiking in the forest, running or reading.

Ziysah is a parent, poet, editor, community cultivator, and unsettled settler who works to connect us to our imaginations, our responsibilities, and each other. ziy's writing has appeared in various magazines and anthologies as well as their most recent collection consents+/=/- severances. As a slam champ, they have also competed, performed and facilitated workshops across Turtle Island. ziysah is grateful to their q***r, genderq***r, activist and Ashkenazi Jewish lineages, and to the Indigenous Elders, teachers, friends, and more-than-human life who have profoundly re-shaped their worldview. ziysah lives here in Nogojiwanong on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabe territory and is currently serving as Peterborough’s Poet Laureate.

Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton
Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough

This year at Take Back The Night we're starting things off a little early with tabling from various community agencies from 3pm-6pm before we move into our evening programming. Drop by the PTBO Square Courtyard to chat with all of these wonderful agencies about the work they do, how survivors can get support, or how you can get involved!
During this time we'll also have drop-in poster making- we provide all the materials, you come with your artistic ideas to make your own poster for the march later in the evening!

Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle KWIC Peterborough Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre YWCA Peterborough Haliburton Peterborough Regional Health Centre PARN-Your Community AIDS Resource Network Peterborough Community Legal Centre Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough Victim Services of Peterborough and Northumberland Soroptimist Peterborough Ontario Canada

We are so grateful to Dreams & Wishes Children's Charity for hosting a trip to Ripley's Aquarium over the weekend!
A group of 30 children and 14 mothers currently staying at our Centennial Crescent Housing Community were able to join the adventure, along with 2 YWCA staffers, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Thank you for giving these families, who have seen so much hardship, a day of joy and wonder. 🐟🐋🐠

Did you attend a show at Peterborough Musicfest this summer? If you did, you might have seen the two La-Z-Boy reclining chairs up at the front of the VIP section - the "best seats in the house." Every year, organizers choose a local non-profit organization to donate one of the chairs, and this year they've chosen the YWCA!

We are so grateful for this generous gift. Many of our clients leave their homes with no belongings to furnish a new space, so a comfy spot like this (modelled by our director Tina) will go a long way toward finding peace for a woman in our community.

Thank you to the Musicfest team, and congrats on another amazing season!

Introducing this year's walking route for Take Back The Night! We will start from the Peterborough Square Courtyard and walk to the Pebble Mosaic in Millennium Park for some words and a moment of silence before we head to the loop through downtown Nogojiwanong-Peterborough!
A few guidelines/answers to some questions:
- We sent some of our staff out to walk this route to ensure the sidewalks were open and accessible--> we will recheck the route the week of the event to ensure nothing has changed about this and make adjustments if needed
- We will invite any folks with accessibility needs, mobility devices, or strollers to be at the front of the walking group to set the pace for the group. Anyone who wishes to attend the event but does not feel comfortable with doing the walk is welcome to stay at the Peterborough Square Courtyard until the group returns (we will have staff/volunteers stay behind as well)
- This walk/march is kept to the sidewalks only to keep everyone safe and to avoid needing police presence/marshalls for road closures
- We will have our staff/volunteers in bright TBTN t-shirts scattered throughout the group to act as marshalls and to direct folks in the right direction if the group is separated at crosswalks. Please connect with one of these folks if during the march you have any concerns or questions

Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle YWCA Peterborough HaliburtonCommunity Foundation of Greater Peterborough

The YWCA has two more amazing opportunities available to join our team. Please share with anyone who might be interested in the following new job postings, open until Sept 2:
🔘Director of Client Services (Full-Time Contract)
🔘Shelter Counsellor (Part-Time Permanent)

And the following two postings are still open until Aug 29:
🔘Shelter Counsellor (Part-Time Contract until March 31, 2025)
🔘Nutritional Well-Being Worker (Relief)

Learn more and see full job descriptions: https://ywcapeterborough.org/about-us/careers/

Congratulations to our colleagues at YWCA Cambridge, who have been working toward this outcome for years! This new shelter will be crucial for helping women and children to leave abusive situations and get back on their feet.

Read more: https://ywcacambridge.ca/new-temporary-emergency-shelter-for-women-operated-by-ywca-coming-to-cambridge/

Today is a big day here at YWCA Cambridge. We’re grateful to announce that a temporary emergency shelter for women is coming to Cambridge, with an anticipated opening this fall.

Thank you to all of you who have supported the development of this initiative, including our various non-profit partners, the Region of Waterloo, Grace Bible Church, community advocates, our local politicians, and of course the Cambridge community who continue to show up and support our various endeavours. We are lucky to be doing this work with you all.

Read our news release- link in bio

We're hiring! Please share with anyone who might be interested in the following new job postings:

🔘Shelter Counsellor (Part-Time Contract until March 31, 2025)
🔘Nutritional Well-Being Worker (Relief)

The postings each close on August 29. Learn more and see full job descriptions: https://ywcapeterborough.org/about-us/careers/

We're so grateful to Uride Peterborough driver Darren for bringing over a stack of Walmart gift cards, valuing a total of $500, to support mothers and children staying at our shelter. Back-to-school shopping for clothes, shoes, and classroom supplies can be expensive, and it's extra tough for families fleeing violence and abuse.

Uride's Good Deed program is focusing this month on supporting women in need, and they've chosen the YWCA as one of their lucky recipients. Thank you so much for your amazing contribution!

"When I was ready, I began the work to heal. I spoke about my trauma with the YWCA’s supportive counsellors, learning how to live a life without fear.
"After a long process of digging deeply in counselling, I started to feel whole again. I had more confidence in my ability to parent. I was believing in myself again..."

Read more of Chantal's story: https://ywcapeterborough.org/i-know-how-much-courage-it-takes-to-make-that-call/

Our CEO Medora Uppal, along with YWCA leaders in Niagara and Toronto, brought the perspective of our 10 member associations to the Province's Subcommittee on Intimate Partner Violence today.

Here are our recommendations:

1. Pass Bill 173
2. End the Gendered Housing Crisis
3. Enable the conditions for Women's Economic Independence
4. Invest in Prevention: we need upstream solutions now.
5. Use longstanding community roundtables to inform programs and funding allocations.

YWCA Sudbury YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin YWCA Peterborough Haliburton YWCA Niagara Region YWCA Muskoka YWCA KW YWCA Durham YWCA Cambridge YWCA Toronto

Take Back The Night 2024: "Shatter The Silence" is taking place on Thursday September 19th - the 36th year in our community!

Join us in the courtyard of Peterborough Square from 3pm to 6pm to visit tables with info and products from community agencies, local vendors, and poster-making for the march that night!

From 6pm to 9pm we'll have musical and poetry performances along with presentations from our host organizations, before we have our annual candlelit vigil and march through downtown. Our feature performers, walking route, and event guidelines will be shared in the coming weeks.

We hope to see you for an evening of education on community supports, arts and crafts, food, performances, activism, and solidarity!

Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough

In July, 7 women and girls were killed by domestic violence in Ontario, with another 3 cases still yet to be confirmed as femicides.

So far in 2024 there have been 40 confirmed femicides in our province alone - a sharp increase from 29 in the same period last year.

There has also been an "alarming increase" since 2023 in children and youth being killed by gender-based violence, with 21% of cases tracked since last November involving a victim under the age of 18, says the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH).

femicides are preventable tragedies with devastating impacts. If you or someone you know is being abused, please seek help from your local YWCA or find support by phone, text, or chat through GBV services at www.mulberryfinder.ca

Read the full report: bit.ly/July2024Femicide

On August 9th, we celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples are inheritors of generational wisdom, practitioners of sustainable change, and speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s languages. We need Indigenous communities for a better world.

Chantal* knows first-hand how much courage it takes to make a crisis call to the YWCA. Even with her family in distress, making the decision to leave the only home she had and face an unknown future was incredibly difficult.

But thanks to support from our community, we were able to help her move from fear to safety, from control to independence.

Read more: https://ywcapeterborough.org/i-know-how-much-courage-it-takes-to-make-that-call/

*Chantal is a real woman who found support at YWCA Peterborough Haliburton. Her name has been changed to protect her safety.

There's only one more week to register for Women's Adventures in Golf's Round 4 game supporting the YWCA! Sign up as a solo player or a team of 2 or 4.

The event is a unique and relaxed format, focused less on golf skills and more on the themed game! Join in to have fun while supporting women and children in our community.

To sign up, please email Susan at [email protected].

Wow!! Hunter and Haley from Shoppers Drug Mart at Lansdowne and High Street in Peterborough came by this week to deliver a huge donation of personal care products. We're so grateful for this thoughtful gift, which will help the women and children staying in our safe spaces to feel a little more at home and able to care for themselves and each other. Thank you Shoppers!

We are honoured to join today’s Curve Lake First Nation Health Fair! Come say hello between 2:30 and 5:30 this afternoon at the Community Health Centre - there are lots of amazing organizations participating. This year’s theme is finding balance amid the busy times in life.

Call out for community members wanting to perform at Take Back The Night this year! We have a limited number of 5-minute timeslots available for community members who want to perform a poem, song, or a short speech. If you are interested, please email [email protected] with your proposed performance/presentation material. Slots will be awarded on a first come first serve basis.
Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle YWCA Peterborough Haliburton Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough

A congratulations AND a thank you to Scotiabank Kawartha Centre! Their staff members participated as "Team Scotia" in our incredible Walk A Mile In Their Shoes event this spring. Not only were they awarded the trophy for top fundraising team, but Scotiabank also announced they are matching the team's amount. They presented our Director of Philanthropy, Tina, with a cheque for the total of $5,176! Thank you so much to our amazing community for your generous support.

Read more: https://ywcapeterborough.org/walk-a-mile-top-fundraising-trophy-awarded-to-team-scotia/

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton has three new job postings:

🔘Outreach Worker (Part-Time Permanent) - Peterborough and Minden offices
🔘Shelter Counsellor (Part-Time Permanent) - Peterborough
🔘Shelter Counsellor (Relief) - Peterborough

The postings each close on August 15. Learn more and see full job descriptions: https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=88a32440-1eb1-4c0b-ad0c-d073d6e10218&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_CA

The YWCA’s Administrative Office will be closed on Monday, August 5. The START program will not be running on the holiday Monday. Our office will reopen on Tuesday, August 6. If you need help, you can always reach our 24-hour crisis and support line at 1-800-461-7656, or by texting 705-991-0110.

Wild Rock Outfitters is bringing back the No Man's Land Film Festival on Friday, August 9 to historic Market Hall Performing Arts Centre! A film festival that celebrates women in pursuit of outdoor fun, challenge and accomplishment. Come celebrate an evening of films and support our local YWCA -- a portion of proceeds will be donated to support our programs.
General admission for this event is $24.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and showtime begins at 7:00 p.m.
Get your tickets here: https://wildrock.net/products/no-man-s-land-film-festival-9th-world-tour?_pos=1&_sid=2d8fd84fa&_ss=r

Have you heard about Women's Adventures in Golf yet??
They're running a series of games this summer to support local charities, and Round #4 will be supporting YWCA Peterborough Haliburton! Susan, the organizer, says it is super casual and you don't need to be an expert golfer - just come to have fun, play some trivia, and support a great cause in the community.

Register by August 14 by emailing Susan at [email protected]!

Did you know that Peterborough has one of the highest rates of human trafficking in Canada? Sadly, the numbers reported to police and agencies don't even represent the true magnitude of this crisis, as many survivors choose not to report.
Today is the UN's World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. If you suspect you or someone you know is being trafficked, please seek help as soon as you can. We have a list of local groups on our website that can help, including the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, and several organizations focused on helping Indigenous survivors.
https://ywcapeterborough.org/community-resources/

1 in 3 victims of human trafficking globally is a child.

On Tuesday’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons, join UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in calling for greater efforts to protect children both online and offline from the risks of exploitation and trafficking.

The GBV Learning Network & Knowledge Hub at Western U has shared this fantastic new resource: Fathers play a critical role!

This infographic shares how fathers can be intentional in their everyday actions to challenge stereotypes and support gender equality.

Click to view the full graphic, or download a copy at https://gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/infographics/fathers/index.html

We stand with the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization. People living with HIV deserve better than false hope — they deserve a government that will honour the promise made to them and end the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure in this country.

📩Send a message to policymakers today at:
https://www.hivcriminalization.ca/take-action-as-an-individual/

▶️Watch videos with stories shared by people living with HIV on how the threat of criminalization affects them and many other Canadians: https://www.hivcriminalization.ca/testimonials-canada-must-end-the-criminalization-of-people-living-with-hiv-now/

Department of Justice Canada
Arif Virani